Developed by Swedish development team River End Games, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream was my biggest surprise during the latest Steam Next Fest. A stealth game taking place in the beautiful Victorian era-inspired city of Eriksholm, it has you playing as Hanna, who has just recently recovered from a terrible disease only to discover that her brother Herman has gone missing. Chased by the authoritarian regime’s police force, it falls to her to not only find her sibling, but unfurl the conspiracy that’s taken over her hometown.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is played from an isometric perspective, much like recently released Commandos: Origins, but unlike the WW2 tactics game, it’s very strictly focused on making it out of its gorgeous levels without being seen. The game is so bent on it that the slightest mistake means game over, but however bad that makes it all sound, failure is not frustrating since there are basically checkpoints all over the darn place.
At first, Hanna is only capable of hiding and making use of environmental tools like noisy machinery and obstacles in order to get by unseen, but as the adventure progresses, she acquires more tools, like the blowpipe, which incapacitates enemies, or an actual partner, with whom she is able to deal with some neat puzzles. New mechanics are introduced throughout that add not only to the stealth gameplay, but to the incredibly intelligent challenges that are put in front of whoever’s playing it.
Generally, then, someone who is not into stealth games might stop cold in their tracks when they see this game’s description since the very foundation of the genre was built upon having people redo scenarios ad nauseam in order to do them just right. Well, in Eriksholm’s case, the devs at River End Games have managed to make every attempt different thanks to the multiple ways specific scenarios can be completed. Like having more than one path towards an objective, sometimes obscured by the scenery, or even at plain sight, only requiring you to stop, take a breath, and look.
And that sort of world composition is only possible when there’s thought going into how levels are put together in the first place, which is obviously how this game was developed in the first place. As you make your way through the story, it’s clear that there’s a path to move your way through as with a linear experience, but at the same time, you’re given enough of a leeway to freely explore and find trouble at your own pace if you wish. For that, you’re rewarded with collectibles that add to the worldbuilding in the form of notes, propaganda, flyers, or even postcards. Nothing you do ends up going to waste, and if you’re like me and dig poking around every corner of the map as opposed to moving forward, well, you’ll have to give this game a look.
As mentioned before, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a visually brilliant experience. Character models, for one, are surprisingly detailed and well animated during cutscenes, and the world itself comes alive as you skulk around in it, with people going through their everyday lives, bothered by the abusive police force and the constant threat of getting caught by the plague. In that, the game has a definite tie to Dishonored, while not nearly as exaggerated in its visual design, similar themes can be seen in both, and as equally well developed.
The same can be said about the music and voice work. Both are excellent and help set the mood for the story, with some terrific and VERY British performances when it comes to the characters at play, Hanna especially, as he comments on the happenings around her and gives you subtle tips on how to get about. It’s all so well cobbled together as the music builds up to deliver some truly epic moments.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is yet another sleeper hit of 2025. While not particularly groundbreaking, it does what it sets out to achieve with such competence and talent that it rises above the competition to become one of this year’s best gaming picks, easily.
Wow! Can’t wait to play it soon! 😀